Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-30
MY QUEER LEGACY.

am very sharp-sighted man. l am
also difident. My diffidence has stood in
my way throughout my life, it is so horri-
bly, apparent; and it is probably through
my unfortunate difidence that l have SO
few friends. l hardly know soul at my
club outside the card-room, where it used
to be my custom to play four rubbers OF
whist every afternoon. The card-room at
the Rice and Curry Club, when l was a
useless member OF society, was my idea OF
perfect bliss. There were no draughts
there, no noises, no disturbing influences.
Last year some of the Radical reformers-
for We have Radical reformers even at the
Rice and Curry-succeeded in introducing
ridiculous innovation. In the memory
of the oldest member no female form. dur
ing club hours at least, was ever known to
desecrate that great monastery of Oriental
dervishes-the Rice and Curry. But thew
made an absurd addition to the rules last
year. Ladies are allowed to partake of
refreshments in the strangers dining-room
at the Rice and Curry, if accompanied by
member, during certain hours of the af-
ternoon. The strangers dining-room is a
gruesome apartment, and / don't think the
ladies have much to be thankful for. With
this new-fangled exception, | am happy to
say that the Rice and Curry is still free
from any disturbing influence.
l am by no means brilliant whist
player. [ object to the Peter" and look
upon 1t as form of swindling; it may be
a prejudice, it probably is You will agree
that / am not brilliant whist PLAYER
when | say that my losses at the game
though | never bet, certainly used to cost
me e200 year That was very serious
matter to me then, for it was before |
came into my fortune, before | became q
busy man and philanthropist.
II is of the strange manner of my com.
ing into the fortune, and of NV becoming
a philanthropist, that | am about to tell
Philanthropy, like dram-drinking, is an
affection that grows on one; |, whose sum
rabid philanthropist. This is how it came
about.
Though | am very diffident man,
Campbell was certainly more retiring
Campbell was China merchant. | do not
mean that he sold crockery, but he had
been head of great mercantile firm in
China, and in China he had made his
money. | had never spoken to Campbell
IN my life; he was n sad-loobing man
very tactiturn, but he used to smoke I'M
commonly good cigars He used to sit on
one side of the fireplace, | on the other
and there we sat and smoked far into the
night. After several years, we used to nod
TO each other but we never spoke; that
would have been quite contrary to the
etiquette at the Rice and Curry. Wugsby-
most Objectionable person, who looks
upon himself us the club wit and keeps a
little manuscript book of jokes, in which
he notes down anything amusing that he
may pick up, and probably afterward.
passes it off as his own-said that Camp.
bell and | resembled the two statues at the
gate of Bedlam-Melancholy and Ravine
Madness. OF course he meant to hurt my
feelings, but he failed; for took the Mel.
ancholy to myself, in which there is moth.
ing degrading, and put the Raving Mad
ness down to Campbell Possibly Camp.
bell did as | did
As have said, am very sharp-sighted
sat staring at Campbell as he smoked in
silence. | had been in that chair fol
about two hours, and when | say that
had Just ordered my second whisky-and
soda, it will be seen that / was not a drink.
ing man. Campbell is old-fashioned, and
always shows a large eXpanse of shirt
front. Were my ewes deceiving me? They
never yet had deceived me, those SHARP
eyes of mine. But there could not be Z
doubt of it; an insect was slowly, very
slowly, crawling up Campbelps shirt-front
1t will he quite sufficient when / veil the
vulgar name of that insect by saying that
the name of 4 certainsm usical note ex-
pressed its character. 1t would have ira
veled with Campbell in the same carriage
from London to Edinburgh, or from South
ampton to Bombay in the same p. and O
boat, without speaking to him. But thi:
was not moment for half measures.
E" | beg your pardon" | said; dom
move, but there's-er-a something or
your shirt"
Campbell lowered his eyes;..he moved the
Objectionable thing and thanked me, but
he did so in careless sort of way, a:
though the finding of Objectionable thing.
on his shirt-front was a common occur.
renee, an everyday affair. | was naturally
surprised at his taking the thing SO coolly
ave ought to send for the Steward al
once p said, in my natural indignation
" Good CAD, sir, the place is, perhaps, in
tested !"
Don't excite yourself" replied Camp.
bell, Sits my fault; l get them in my
work"
"Good gracious p was all could utter
in my horror and establishment; and then
l did very stupid thing-I manifested
curiosity. At the Rice and Curry to mani
fest curiosity in anything whatsoever is
looked upon as the very worst of bad
form.
"Ah,n | said interrogatively, "you 60
in for old furniture and things of that
sort. eh ~
NO." said Campbell, II bring them
from the East End
Hooked round the room for a witness to
this horrible confession. Talk of disturb
ing influences Here was man who
boosted in cold blood that he brought dis
turbing influences of the most abominable
kind into the club smoling-room. For
once in my life my diffidence vanished. |
felt that / was called upon to perform a
duty, that the ewes of the fourteen hun
dred and ninety-eight other members
would look to me TO do that duty, and |
AthSAH4AlCd W SOHtTdl
meeting, and to propose Campbelrs imme-
diate expulsion.
= Do you feel any interest in my work p
said he suavely.
This was the last straw. rose to my
feet
No, sir" said with just indignation.
] look upon your conduct as abominable
snd disgusting. / can only hope, sir, that
yon are insane" Here thought of Mugs
by a.ld Raving Madness
Then you approve the opium tax ?'
said he quite calmly.
He was evidently mad; he could not
have been drinking, for he had been under
my observation for at least two hours.
Perhaps he was mystitier or fool 10
rue the terms are synonymous.
II fancy we are playing at cross pur-
poses,p he added after pause. "The fact